Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand. Creatures crawl in search of blood, to terrorize y’all’s neighborhood –Michael Jackson’s Thriller

It’s that magical time of year where for one evening we get to scour the neighborhoods in search of candy. As children ourselves once, I think we can all remember how exciting it was to pretend to be someone else, collect goodies, come home and dump our pillow case candy sacks out on the floor to count, organize, trade, and ration the hard-earned candies of our labor.

Since this is a dental blog, I suppose we should learn something about candy and how it relates to oral health. Now, we wouldn’t dream of ruining Halloween by telling everyone not to eat candy. We love candy. Just ask to see Ginna’s secret goody drawer, if you don’t believe. But remember, like all of us, cavity-creating bacteria love Halloween too. All those sugary sweets create a perfect vacation spot for bacteria to grab their friends and rent out time shares on your teeth. Since you are all going to indulge in Halloween sweets, here are some interesting thoughts about minimizing tooth decay while still enjoying the holiday:

1. Powdery treats (such as pixie sticks) can be poured directly on the tongue, minimizing contact with teeth. This treat also dissolves quickly. Warning: pixie sticks may result in hyperactivity and brightly colored tongues.
2. Chocolate, especially cold or frozen chocolate, dissolves rather quickly and doesn’t stay on the teeth too long. Additionally chocolates have a lot of beneficial calcium. Chocolates with 65% cocoa content also act as a powerful antioxidant!
3. It is better to eat 4 chocolates at once, than one every hour. This prevents a constant supply of sugar coating the teeth.
4. Worst Candy for Teeth: Hard Candies, lollipops, jelly beans, and taffy. They get stuck in the grooves of teeth as well as stay in the mouth for longer periods of time.
5. It is better to have Halloween sweets with meals, not separately as a snack.
6. Try to brush your teeth after candy consumption.

Halloween Fun Fact: The most popular type of Halloween candy given out in the US is the Tootsie Roll. The Tootsie Roll was invented in 1896 by an Austrian immigrant in New York City. What a successful business.

Looking for a good way to cut down on the amount of post Halloween candy consumption? The one thing kids like more than candy is money, so consider talking to your kids about donating their unopened, left over Halloween Candy to a Dentist Halloween Buyback program which pays children for their leftovers and sends the candy overseas to our troops! Get paid to support our troops! Visit www.halloweencandybuyback.com to find a participating dental office in your area.

If you believe you have over-indulged on Halloween candy, felt pain when eating sweets, or damaged a filling, bridge, or crown on a milk dud, please contact Waverley Dental Care for a post-Halloween dental inspection!

ENJOY YOUR SAFE AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!